Island



(No Model.) 3 Sheets- Sheet 1. C. B. COTTRELL.

PRINTING MACHINE.

No. 453,758. Patented June 9, 1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 G. B. COTTRELL. PRINTING MACHINE No. 453,758. 4Patented June 9,1891.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

C. B. COTTRELL.

PRINTING MACHINE. No. 453.758. Patented June v9, 1891.

llniTEn STATES4 PATENT OFFICE.

CALVERT COTTRELL, OF VESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND.

PRINTING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 453,758, dated J' une 9, 1891.

Application filed January 27, 1891. Serial No. 379,235. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CALVERT B. COTTRELL, of 'Westerlyg in the county of Vashington and State of Rhode Island, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Printing-Machines, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying d rawin This invention relates to flat-bed perfecting printing-machines.

Its object is to automatically feed offsetsheets to the second impression-cylinder of such a machine and remove said sheets from said cylinder after a certain number of revolutions thereof, when they have become soiled.

I will first describe my improvement with reference to the accompanying drawings, and afterward point out its novelty in claims.

Figure l is a central longitudinal sectional view of the cylinders, the bed, and the feeding apparatus and part of the framing of a printing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a side view corresponding with Fig. l, but not showing the bed and having parts of the external gearing removed. Fig. 3 is a side view showing the cylinders, the feed-boards, and parts of the delivery appa` ratus on a larger scale than Figs. l and 2. Fig. l is a plan corresponding with Fig. 3. Figs. 5, (5, 7, and 8 are detail-views which will be hereinafter explained.

Similar letters of reference designate correspending' parts in all the figures.

A designates part of the framing of the machine; B B', the cylinder-boxes,and C C the i1npressiori-cylinders.

D is the reciprocating bed, and F F the two forms. The bed, forms, and impressioncylinders resemble those of flat-bed perfecting-presses at present in use, and may be driven in the same way.

E is the feed-board from which the sheets to be printed are fed by hand to the first impression-cylinder C, and G isla feed-board from which offset sheets are supplied to the second impression-cylinder C, the said feedboard G being arranged behind the said cylinder C under the feed-board E. i

The firstimpression-cylinder C is furnished with an ordinary set of grippers d for taking the sheets s to be printed. The second impression-cylinder C is furnished with an ordinary set of grippers ZJ, for taking from the rst impression-cylinder the sheets to be printed on the second side, and is also furnished with two sets of grippers c and d for holding the offset sheets o, these grippers heilig of a similar kind to those for taking the sheets to be printed, the grippers c being for holding the front ends and those d for holding the rear ends of the said sheets. The grippers a and Z) may be operated in the same manner and by the same means as those of other perfecting-presses, and therefore need no further description.

The means for operating the grippers c and d will be hereinafter described.

Behind the second impression-cylinder C', between the said cylinder and the feed-board G for the offset sheets, a rotary shaft c is sup ported in bearings in brackets H H', carried bythe framing A,the said shaft having upon it a series of reels or disks e e,carrying grippers c2, which are represented as of the kind well known as tumbler-grippers for taking the offset sheets from the said feed-board and feeding them to the said cylinder, and which for that purpose are operated as will be hereinafter explained.

In carrying out my invention two sets of delivery apparatus are employed, one set for delivering the printed sheets and another set for the ol'fset sheets. As represented in the drawings, the delivery apparatus for the Oifset sheets is below that for the printed sheets. The delivery apparatus for the printed sheets is represented as consisting of endless chains f, furnished with springclosed grippers f and ruiming` on chain-wheels on shafts f2, fitted to bearingson the front and rear ends of frames g, arranged under the feed-board E, one of the said shafts f2 being geared by a gear f3 with a gear c on the second impression-cylin der C. Below the rear portions of the frames g. and chains f is a receivingboard I, for receiving the printed sheets from the delivery apparatus. This delivery apparatus is substantially like that employed in other printing-machines and well known, and the means of opening the grippers to make them receive the sheets from the cylinder and deposit them on the receiving-board will besuch as are com monlyemployed, and therefore no further description of them here is necessary. The frames g are represented as IOO having longitudinal slots g', which receive the said pins supporting the delivery appaiIO ratus, and the said slots permitting the said apparatus to be slid back from over the cylinder C' when the forward hinged portion of the feed-board E is turned back for making the said cylinder ready. The rear ends of the forward slots g' are turned upward, as shown in Figs. l and 3, to permit the said delivery apparatus to rise and fall with the cylinder C'. The delivery apparatus for the offset sheets is represented as an endless carrier consisting of endless chains h, furnished with spring-closed grippers h' and running on chain-wheels on shafts h2, having their bearings in the framing A', one of the said shafts h2 being geared by a gear h* with the gear c on the cylinder C'. These deliverychains and grippers are like those for delivering the printed sheets and they deliver the offset sheets onto a stationary receivingboard I'. The said grippers h' are opened to receive offset sheets from the cylinder C', and again opened to deposit them on the receiving-board I' by means of a cam h3, (see Figs. 4 and 7,) arranged near the cylinder C' and a cam h4, (see Figs. l and 2,) arranged near the outer end of the receivingboard I', the said cams operating upon said grippers in the same way as the stationary cams commonly employed to o perate the grippers of endless-chain delivery apparatus. The cam h4 is stationary, as it does no harm by opening the grippers h when there is no sheet in them, but as the opening of the said grippers as they pass the cylinder C' should only take place when an offset sheet is to be removed from the latter-that is to say, only once after many revolutions of said cylinderthe cam h3 instead of being stationary is attached to what I call a cam-stock J, (see Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 7,) which is movable laterally or parallel with the axis of the cylinder, and which is held aside, as will be presently described, to keep the said cam out of the way of the arm h5 of the grippers until the proper time for opening them. The said camstock J also carries a cam c2 for operating on the arms c* CZ* of the cylinder-grippers c CZ to open the said grippers, this cam also having to be held aside out of the way until the time for liberating the offset sheets. There are also attached to or provided on said cam-stock devices represented as consisting of two short pins or projections it" for operating in the tumbler e3 of the grippers e2 of the shaft e, which take the -new offset sheets from the board G, which devices also have to be held aside until the time for changing the odset sheets.

The cam-stock J, of which an inner face view is shown in Fig. '7, consists of a plate attached to a horizontal stem or stud J', which is capable of sliding through a bored hub or guide j on the bracket H'. A hole provided in said stock or plate J, for the passage th rough it of the gripper-shaft e, before mentioned, makes the said shaft serve as an additional guide and prevents the said stock from turning. A spring j', (see Fig. 4,) between the said stock and the said bracket, constantly presses the said stock toward the cylinder and tends to bring the cams h3 c2 and tu mbler-operating pinsz't" within range, respectively, of the gripper-arms h5, ci and di, and the gripper-tumbler e3, but this action of the said spring is prevented until the proper time for the operation of the grippers by means of alockinglever Zc, which is fast upon a shaft Za', which works in bearings in the lower parts of the brackets H H. The upper end of this lever is formed to enter between the hub j of the bracket H' and a collar js on the outer end of the stem J', as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The locking-lever lo is connected by a rod k2 with the lower end of a lever Z, which works on a fixed fulcrum Z', secured upon the upper part of the machine framing. To this lever Z is attached arod Z4, which slides through a stationary guide Z5, between which and a shoulder on the said rod is applied aspiral spring Z3, which tends to press the said lever Z and its rod k2 toward the lever 7c, and so keep the said lever engaged between the hub j and the collar js. It is only necessary to withdraw this lever k from between the said hub and the shoulder to allow the spring j' to throw the cam-stock to the position for its cam and pins to operate. l

I will now describe means by which the lever Z is tripped to effect such withdrawalof the lever Zo for the purpose of changing the offset sheets.

X is a spur-gear fixed on the shaft of the second impression-cylinder C.

Y is another spur-gear gearing with X and turning freely on a fixed stud y in the niachine framing. The gear Y has one more tooth than the gear X, the number of teeth of X being equal to the number of revolutions which the cylinder C'is to make before the changing of the offset sheets, which is effected during the next revolution. We will suppose that gear X has two hundred and fifty-one teeth and gear Y two hundred and fifty-two teeth, it being desired to change the offset sheets during every two hundred and fifty-second revolution of the cylinder. Every time the gear X makes a revolution the gear Y lacks one tooth of a full revolution, so that during two hundred and fiftytwo revolutions of the gear X Y will make only two hundred and fifty-one revolutions. On the gear X is fixed a tappet-tooth m, and on the gear Y is a tappet n, which is fitted to slide radially in a guide n', on the gear Y, and to which is applied a spring n2, which tends to press it outward so far that in every two hundred and fifty-second revolution of the gear X the said tappet-tooth and sliding tappet come together, and the tappet-tooth m will push in the sliding tappet n far IOO IIO

enough to strike a tappet-lug Z2 on the lever Z, and trip the said lever Z. During two hundred and fifty-one of every two hundred and iifty-two revolutions of the gear X the tappet-tooth m does not meet the sliding tappet n, and the spring n2 keeps the tappet pushed out so far that its inner end will not reach the tappet-lug Z2; but when in the two hundred and fifty-second revolution of the gear X the said tappet-tooth m meets the sliding tappet n, Jthe said sliding tappet always opposite the tappet-lug Z2, and the said tooth m pushes in the said sliding tappet n far enough to reach the said tappetlug Z2, and hence the said lever Z is then tripped to withdraw the locking-lever Zt and permit the spring j to push the cam-stock and its cams to the operative position. This tripping of the lever Z is only instantaneous. As soon as the sliding tappet n passes by the lug Z2 on the said lever, the spring Z3 again pushes forward the said lever and brings the end of the lever 7e against the collar jg, where the latter lever then rests only until in the revolution of the cylinder C. A cam p on the side of the said cylinder serves by its operation against the inner face of the cam-stock or its cam c2 to push aside the cam-stock to a position to be re-engaged and locked by the dropping in of the lever Zt between the hubj and shoulder jg.

In order to expel the air from between the cylinder C and the new offset sheet which is taken by the grippers c, and to take out the wrinkles from the sheet and draw it tight to the cylinder before the grippers (Z take hold of its rear end, I provide on the shaft Zt of the locking-lever Z.: arms l0, which carry a bar l2, to which are secured a series of pressers l1, which may be of any suitable construction, but are represented as consisting of brushes, between which are spaces for the cylinder-grippers (Z to operate. A back view of the said shaft Zt and the brush attachment is given in Fig. S. \Vhile the lever Zt is in position to lock the cam-stock and its attachments out of the operative position, the brushes ll are held back from the cylinder; but when the connection k2, before described, pullsthe locking-lever out of engagement with the cam-stock the brushes are brought against -the sheet which has been just taken by the grippers c and press it to the cylinder. This operation continues as the sheet is carried around the impression portion of the cylinder and until the grippers CZ have closed upon the rear end of the sheet and is then intermitted by the return of the locking-lever between the shoulderj3 of the cam-stock and the hubj of the bracket H until the time for taking a new offset sheet.

Having described the construction and operation of the several parts, I will now proceed to describe the automatic changing of the offset sheets during the printing.

An offset sheet o having been secured to the cylinder C the printing is performed in the same manner as in other perfeetingprinting1naehines, the sheets being fed to the first impression-cylinder C and taken by the grippers thereof and printed thereby on the rst form F, and afterward taken from the said cylinder by the grippers b of the second impression-cylinder C and printed by the latter on the second form F, after which they are taken from the latter by the grippers j" of the upper ordinary delivery apparatus. This goes on repeatedly without any disturbance of the grippers c and LZ, which hold the offset sheet on the cylinder until the tappettooth m meets the sliding tappet n and presses it inward against the tappet-lug Z, and so trips the lever Z, as hereinbefore described, and pulls the lockinglever k out of engagement with the cam-stock, which is then forced inward by its spring to bring the cams c2 and h3 to their operative positions. Then within the next qualter-revolution of the cylinder C', after the taking hold of the last-printed sheet by the grippers f', the arm ci of the cylindergrippers c reaches the cam c2, and the said grippers are thereby opened to release the front end of the offset sheet on the cylinder, and at the same moment the arm h5 of the delivery-grippers 7L passes the cam h3 and takes the so-released end and carries it back over the board I. The tumbler e3 of the feeding-grippers e2 then reaches the pin z', and the said gri ppers, which in their normal condition are open, are then quickly closed to take the front edge of a new clean offset sheet, which has been kept waiting on the table G with its said edge projecting slightly beyond the front edge of said table. The continued revolution of the cylinder C and the reel e bring the grippers c2 and c together. The feeding-grippers c2 are then opened to release the sheet by their tumbler passing the pin i', and the cylinder-grippers c are allowed to close to take the sheet by their arm ci, passing off the cam c2. The continued revolution of theeylinder winds the new oiiiset sheet upon 1t and brings the gripper-arm CZ* to the cam c2, by which the gripperscl are opened to release the rear end of the old offset sheet. The length of the said cani c2 is such that said grippers remain open until the rearor tail end of the sheet has been pressed close to the cylinder by the brushes ll, and as the arm d* passes by the cam the grippsls CZ in closing will take the said end and secure it to the cylinder. In the meantime the delivery-grippers 7L reach the cam h4 and the soiled offset sheet taken from the cylinder is deposited upon the board I.

All the above automatic operations of changing the offset sheet are performed during about five-eighths of a revolution of the cylinder and without any interference with the printing operation. As soon as the grippers (Z have closed upon the offset sheet, the cam p on the cylinder C comes into operation on the cam-stock J and pushes it aside again to take the cams 71.3 and c and pins if t" to their inoperative position,

IOO

ICS

IlO

ISO

in which they are at once locked by the lock-v ing-lever 7c dropping in again between the hub j and the collar js, and remains locked until the cylinder C again makes its two hundred and ifty second revolution and brings its tappet m into operation on the tappet n and allows the cams h3 and c and pins 'L' 7l to come to their operative positions to produce the taking away from the cylinder C of the 1o offset sheet last taken on and the taking thereon of a new one which has been placed in readiness on the table G. Y. 'i

It will be readily understood that if more tappet-teeth m are put on the cylinder-gear X the offset sheet o may be changed oftener.

Vith two tappets on the gear X, having the number of teeth described, the sheets will be changed at every one hundred and twentysix revolutions and with three tappets at 2o every eighty-fourth revolution, and so on.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the impressioncylinder' of a printing-machine and two sets z 5 of grippers thereon for holding both ends of offset sheets thereto, of a movable cam for producing the operation of said grippers during one of many revolutions of the cylinder for liberating a soiled offset sheet therefrom 3o and taking a new one thereon, substantially as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with the impressioncylinder of a printing-machine and grippers thereon for holding an offset sheet thereto, of

3'5 a delivery apparatus consisting of an endless carrier, and grippers thereon for taking soiled offset sheets from said cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the cylindergrippers by the revolution of the cylinder,

4o and a cam for producing the operation of the delivery-grippers by the movement of their carrier, the said cams being connected and movable together to and from an operative position relative to their respective grippers at proper intervals of time, substantiallyas 5o a feeding apparatus for feeding offset sheets to said cylinder, consisting of a carrier and attached grippers, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, and a gripper-operatin@ device foro eratinO the feeding-gri ers b t D b by the movement of their carrier, the said Y cams and devices being movable to and fromV an operative position relative to their respective grippers at proper intervals of time, sub- 6o stantially as herein set forth.

4. The combination, with the impressioncylinder of a printing-machine and grippers thereon for holding an offset sheet thereto, of a feeding apparatus for feeding offset sheets to said cylinder, consisting of a carrier and attached grippers, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, and a gripper-operating device for operating the feeding-grippers by the movement of their carrier, the said`cams and devices being connected and movable together to and from an operative position relative to their respective grippers at proper intervals of time, substantially as herein set forth.

5. In a printing-machine, the combination, with an impression cylinder and grippers thereon for holding an oset sheet thereto, of a delivery apparatus consistingn of a carrier having grippers thereon for taking soiled offset sheets from said cylinder, a gripper-carrier and feeding-grippers thereon for feeding new oset sheets to said cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the delivery-v grippers by the movement of their carrier, and a gripper-operating device, substantially as herein described, for producing the operation of the feeding-grippers by the rotation of their carrier, the said cams and gripper-operating devices being all movable to and from an operative position relatively to their respective grippers at proper intervals for changing the offset sheets on the cylinder, substantially as herein set forth.

6. In a printing-machine, the combination, with an impression cylinder and grippers thereon for holding an offset sheet thereto, of a delivery apparatus consisting of an endless carrier having grippers thereon for taking soiled offset sheets from said cylinder', a gripper-carrier and feeding-grippers thereon for feeding new offset sheets to said cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the delivery-grippers by the movement of their carrier, and a gripper-operating device, substantially as herein described, for producing the operation of the feeding-grippers by the rotation of their carrier, the said cams and gripper-operating devices being all connected and movable together to and from an operative position relatively to their respective grippers at proper intervals for changing the offset sheets on the cylinder, substantially as herein set forth.

'7. In a printing-machine', the combination, with an impression-cylinder and grippers thereon for holding offset sheets thereto, of a delivery apparatus having grippers thereon for taking soiled offset-sheets from said cyl- IIO IZO

inder, a rotary gripper-carrier and feedingn grippers thereon for feeding new offset sheets to said cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the delivery-grippers by the movement of their carrier, a gripper-operating device for producing the operation of the feeding-grippers by the rotation of their carrier, a movable stock to which said cams and gripper operating devices are attached, a

spring for moving the said stock to bring the said cams and gripper-operating devices to an operative position, a cam on the cylinder for operating on said stoel; and moving said cams and gripper-operatingdevices to an inoperative position, and a locking device for locking the said cam-stock with the said cams and gripper-operating` devices in an inoperative position, substantially as herein described.

S. In a printing-machine, the combination, with an impression cylinder and grippers thereon for holding offset sheets thereto, of a delivery apparatus having grippers thereon for taking soiled offset sheets from said cylinder, a rotary gripper-carrier and feedinggrippers thereon for feeding new offset sheets to said cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the cylinder-grippers by the revolution of the cylinder, a cam for producing the operation of the delivery-grippers by the movement of their carrier, a gripper-operating device for producing the operation of the feeding-grippers by the rotation of their carrier, a movable stock to which said cams and `@gripper operating devices are attached, a spring for moving the said stock to bring the said cams and gripper-operating devices to an operative position, a cam on the cylinder for operating on said stock and moving said cams and gripper-operating devices to an inoperative position, a locking device for locking the said stock with the said cams and gripperoperating devices in an inoperative position, and tripping mechanism deriving motion from the cylinder for disengaging said locking device, substantially as herein set forth.

9. In a printing-machine, the combination, with an impressioncylinder and grippers thereon for holding an offset sheet thereto, of a'delivery apparatus consisting of a carrier and grippers for taking soiled offset sheets from `the cylinder, a gripper-carrier and grippers for feeding new offset sheets to said cylinder, cams and gripper-operating devices for producing the operation of said several grippers by the rotation of the said cylinder and movements of said carriers, a movable stock to which said cams and gripper-operating devices are attached, a spring applied to said stock, and a cam on the cylinder for moving the said cams and devices to operative and inoperative positions, a locking device for locking the said stock with its attached cam and devices in an inoperative position, a toothed gear on the cylinder-shaft having a tappet-tooth, and a tappet-gear gearing with said toothed gear and having a movable tappet to be operated upon by said tappet-tooth for tripping the said locking device, all substantially as herein set forth.

lO. The combination, with the impressioncylinder of a printing-machine and two s ets of grippers thereon for successively taking and securing the front and rear ends ofan offset sheet thereto, of a series of intermittently-operating pressers for pressing the said sheet to the cylinder during an interval between the successive operations of the two sets of grippers to take and secure the sheet to the cylinder, substantially as herein set forth. I

ll. The combination, with thc impressioncylinder C and the two sets of grippers ic d thereon for successively taking and securing the front and rear ends of an offset sheet thereto, the movable cam-stock J and attached cam c2 for operating said grippers, the locking-lever 7s and the shaft 71;', carrying the said lever to lock the said cam-stock with the said cam inoperative, and a spring for throwing said locking-lever into action, of a series of pressers carried by said shaft to operate on the offset sheet during the intervals between the successive operations of said grippers, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

CALVERT B. COTTRELL.

Vitnesscs:

A. R. STILLMAN, A. C. WHITFORD. 

